Carton carrier



Jan. 24, 1967 J. F. CELLA 3,299,613

CARTON CARRIER I Filed Nov. 6, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /aw 8PM! 24,19 7 J. F. CELLA 3,299,613

CARTON CARRIER Filed Nov. e, 1963 s Sheets-Sheet z I N VENTOR.

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- J'OJIPH F: 652414 A rrox/vzrs United States Patent G 3,299,613 CARTON CARRIER Joseph F. Cella, Northampton, Mass., assignor to Cesco Container Mfg. Crp., Northampton, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Nov. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 321,912 6 Claims. (Cl. 53-247) This invention relates to carton handling apparatus and particularly to a carton carrier for a packaging machine, i.e., a machine having the capability of trans ferring caseloads of filled cartons or containers in cases or crates.

The carrier disclosed herein is particularly adapted to handle the container of the general type shown in US. PatentNo. 3,039,668. Such a container is employed for containing milk or other liquid or semi-liquid dairy products. Such containers have a gable top including a pair of opposed inclined panel portions converging toward each other joined together and surmounted by a horizontal panel portion. The remaining sides of the container extend inwardly immediately underneath the top panel portion to form recesses in the upper portions of the container side walls.

It is a general object of the invention to provide a carrier capable of handling cartons of the above character and depositing a predetermined number of the cartons in a case or crate.

Another object is the provision of such a carrier including means engageable within the above-mentioned container recesses whereby the cartons are suspended from the carrier by their tops for transfer to the case. A meritorious feature is that while the cartons are securely retained by the carrier during transfer movement, the cartons are supported in such a manner that there is no danger of crushing or deforming the cartons.

A further object is the provision of a carton carrier for transferring a caseload of cartons wherein the rows of cartons are positioned in stepped relationship to each other to expose the recess in the carton side wall for engagement by a carrier member so that the cartons may be suspended for transfer movement.

Other objects, advantages and meritorious features will more fully appear from the following specification, claims and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top elevation of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section taken through the carton carrier substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of the carton carrier mechanism taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of the carton carrier, partly in section, taken in the direction of the arrow 5 of FIG. 4.

The carton carrier generally indicated at is adapted to be installed in a machine shown generally at 12 of the character disclosed in my US. Patent No. 2,957,287. The structure and operation of the overall machine is fully disclosed in such patent, and therefore only those features which are essential to an understanding of the instant invention will be described herein. As can be seen from FIGS. 1 and 2, there is provided a case conveyor 14 along which a succession of cases are transported, one of which is shown at 1-6 in FIG. 2. There is also provided a carton conveyor 18 along which the filled cartons or containers C are fed from a filling machine (not shown) to the packaging machine 12. Transfer means in the form of a pusher '20 is provided at the downstream end of conveyor 18 and is operable to move the cartons from such conveyor onto a carton supporting table shown generally at 22.

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3,299,613 haunted Jan. 24, 1967 The carton carrier 10 is connected to and suspended from a frame or the like 24 which is vertically reciprocable to descend toward an awaiting case 16 carrying a caseload of cartons for deposit in the case, and then ascend to pick up another caseload of cartons for repetition of the cycle. When a caseload of filled cartons has been assembled on the table 22 by the transfer means 20, the carrier picks up the entire caseload of cartons and the supporting table 22 is retracted from beneath the cartons by a hydraulic cylinder piston assembly shown at 2-6 in FIGS. 1 and 2. The carrier then descends, carrying a caseload of filled cartons toward an awaiting case 16, and when the cartons have entered the case a predetermined distance, the cartons are released from the carrier 10, the filled case is passed out of the machine, and the carrier ascends to the position shown in FIG. 2. The table 22 is thereafter extended to its position shown in FIG. 2 to accept another caseload of cartons for transfer to a case.

As shown most clearly in FIGS. 3 and 5, the carton supporting table 22 comprises a generally rectangular plate-like member 28 which is secured by suitable linkage 30 (see FIG. 2) to the table retracting assembly 26. Disposed atop the plate 28 are platforms 32 and '34 which may be secured to the plate in any convenient fashion as by the screws 36. Each of these platforms is adapted to accommodate a case row of the cartons C, so that the successive rows of cartons are disposed in stepped relationship whereby the upper portion of the carton side walls are exposed to permit engagement thereof by the carrier as shown in FIG. 3. The ends of the platforms 32 and 34 adjacent the carton conveyor 18 are provided with inclined ramps or the like 38 so that upon transfer movement of the pusher 20 the cartons are slid from the conveyor 18 up onto the platforms 32 and 34.

The carton carrier 10 is a box-like structure open at its lower end and comprising a top plate 40 and depending side plates 42 secured to the top plate in any convenient fashion as by screws or the like. The top plate 40 is secured to and depends from the machine frame 24 by means of bolts or the like 44. Means are provided on the carrier for engaging the cartons C in the form of a plurality of L-shaped fingers 46, 48 and 49, the base of each finger being generally horizontally disposed and engageable within the carton recess adjacent the top thereof as is clearly shown in FIG. 3. These fingers are disposed at different elevations as shown in FIG. 3, and the fingers 46 and 48 depend from generally horizontal bars 50 and are secured thereto as by the screws 52. The bars 50 are engaged between spaced pairs of I rollers 54, 56 for reciprocable movement, the lower roller of each pair having a circumferential notch therein to prevent lateral shifting of the bar along the roller. Each of the rollers 54 and 56 includes a central rod 58 bolted as at 60 to opposite carrier side members 42 and a hearing interposed between the rod and the roller to permit rotation of the roller upon movement of the bars 50 in their back and forth motion.

Supported on the carrier top plate 40 is a hydraulic cylinder piston assembly 64 having a reciprocable piston rod 66 projecting therefrom and carrying on its outer end a block 68. A generally vertical arm member 70 is pivotally connected to the block 68 by the pivot pin 72, and projects downwardly through a cut-out 74 is member 40. Connected to the lower end of arm 70 is a generally horizontally disposed rod 76 (see FIG. 4) which is rigidly connected to each of the reciprocable bars 50 as by screws or the like 78. For convenience and compactness of construction, the finger members 49 disposed to engage the lowermost row of cartons C are each secured to a vertical arm 80 which is pivotally connected at its upper end to a rotatable shaft 82 supported at its opposite ends in the carrier side members 42. A coil spring extends between and is supported by the arm 80 and the L-shaped finger 48, whereby upon the reciprocation of bar 50 to shift the fingers 46 and 48, the fingers 49 are pivoted about the axis 82 toward and away from the carton recesses.

As can be observed from FIG. 3, when the table 22 is retracted from beneath the carton C with the finger members 46, 48 and 49 engaging the cartons for suspended transfer movement, there will be a tendency of the cartons to pivot about their point of engagement by the fingers and thus assume a position other than vertical. In order to support the cartons and to prevent this pivotal movement or tipping when the cartons are suspended from the fingers so that the cartons are maintained in upright position during transfer, and further to compact the cartons together to prevent lateral bulging thereof and insure that the caseload will be receivable Within an awaiting case, there are provided retaining means in the form of vertical walls or skirts 84 secured adjacent their upper ends to the carrier plates 42. These skirts 84 extend preferably around and enclose the caseload of cartons on three sides thereof as shown most clearly in FIG. 4 and have an open side adjacent the carton conveyor 18 to permit the cartons to be loaded onto the table 22 by the transfer means 20. The skirts may be conveniently secured to the members 42 by screws 86 or in any other convenient fashion. As shown in FIG. 3, there are provided apertures 88 in the portion of the wall or skirt 84 adjacent the pivoted fingers 49 to permit sufiicient pivotal movement of the fingers to disengage the fingers from the carton recess.

What is claimed is:

1. In a carton carrier for transferring a caseload of cartons into a case, a frame, a plurality of finger members depending from the frame arranged in rows and spaced apart along the rows and transversely of the rows, said fingers being mounted for conjoint movement toward and away from a respective carton, each finger having a lower end portion projecting substantially laterally to engage a carton side wall recess, mechanism coupled to the fingers to move the same, and retaining means coupled to the frame and extending downwardly therefrom on opposite sides of the caseload of cartons to engage the carton side walls compacting the rows of cartons together and preventing lateral tipping of the cartons during transfer movement thereof by the carrier.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 characterized in that each row of fingers is spaced vertically a predetermined d-istance from the adjacent row of fingers, with the fingers being shiftable from a first position permitting carton movement thereunder to a second position engaging recesses in the side wall of such cartons.

3. In a machine for depositing cartons in cases, which cartons are provided with a laterally opening recess in a side wall adjacent the top thereof, a case supporting station, a stepped carton supporting table for supporting a row of cartons on each step, a carrier operable to transfer a caseload of cartons from the table to a case in the case supporting station, a spaced row of finger members for each row of cartons depending from the carrier for shiftable movement toward and away from the carton recesses and shiftable from a first position permitting carton entry onto the table to a second position engaging the cartons for suspended carton transfer, means for shifting said fingers between said first and second positions, means operable adjacent the carton supporting table to move cartons onto the table, and retaining means supported on and depending from the carrier on opposite sides of the caseload of cartons compacting the carton rows together and preventing lateral tipping of the cartons during transfer movement.

4. In a machine for depositing cartons in cases, which cartons are provided with a laterally opening recess in a side wall adjacent the top thereof, a carton infeed conveyor, a stepped carton supporting table for supporting a row of cartons on each step in carton receiving relation with said conveyor, a case supporting stat-ion, a carrier disposed above said table operable to transfer a caseload of cartons from the table to a case in the case supporting station, a plurality of generally L-shaped finger members depending from the carrier with their bases disposed horizontally for shiftable movement toward and away from the carton recesses and spaced when in a first position to permit carton entry onto the table and when in a second position to dispose the horizontal finger portion engaging the carton recesses for suspended carton trans fer, means for shifting said fingers between said first and second positions, means operable adjacent the carton supporting table to move cartons onto the table, and wall means depending from the carrier on opposite sides of the caseload of cartons compacting the carton rows together and preventing lateral tipping of the cartons during transfer movement.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 characterized in that a first one of said steps of the carton supporting table is horizontally aligned with the surface of said infeed conveyor, and the remaining steps of the table are each provided with an inclined end portion terminatlng in horizontal alignment with the surface of said infeed conveyor.

6. A carton carrier for suspending a group of cartons arranged in stepped rows under the carrier comprising:'

a carrier frame; a plurality of horizontal bars supported on the frame for reciprocable movement and extending transversely of the carton rows; a plurality of L-shaped fingers depending from each bar with the base of each finger adapted to engage a carton side wall recess adjacent the carton top when in one position and to be spaced above a carton in an adjacent row when in a second position; means coupled to said bars operable to shift the same to move said fingers between said positions; and carton retaining wall means supported on and depending from the carrier frame adjacent each exterior row of cartons retaining the carton rows in compacted relation and preventing lateral tipping of the cartons during suspension thereof from the carrier.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,863,268 12/1958 Holstebroe et a1. 53-62 TRAVIS S. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN A CARTON CARRIER FOR TRANSFERRING A CASELOAD OF CARTONS INTO A CASE, A FRAME, A PLURALITY OF FINGER MEMBERS DEPENDING FROM THE FRAME ARRANGED IN ROWS AND SPACED APART ALONG THE ROWS AND TRANSVERSELY OF THE ROWS, SAID FINGERS BEING MOUNTED FOR CONJOINT MOVEMENT TOWARD AND AWAY FROM A RESPECTIVE CARTON, EACH FINGER HAVING A LOWER END PORTION PROJECTING SUBSTANTIALLY LATERALLY TO ENGAGE A CARTON SIDE WALL RECESS, MECHANISM COUPLED TO THE FINGERS TO MOVE THE SAME, AND RETAINING MEANS COUPLED TO THE FRAME AND EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE CASELOAD OF CARTONS TO ENGAGE THE CARTON SIDE WALLS COMPACTING THE ROWS OF CARTONS TOGETHER AND PREVENTING LATERAL TIPPING OF THE CARTONS DURING TRANSFER MOVEMENT THEREOF BY THE CARRIER. 